The Carrier Family Doodles Astroturf Potty System
Continue the Training Foundation We've Already Started
Here at Carrier Family Doodles, we have successfully Astroturf potty train our puppies in anticipation of them transitioning to the great outdoors after go-home. Most of our new puppy owners say their puppies go home “90-95% potty trained” (and usually blame the few accidents on their own lack of vigilance). You can read more about our potty-training philosophy and practice here.
After Go-Home: Is Astroturf the Right Choice for You?
Many of our customers ask, “Do I need to continue to use the Astroturf, since the puppy is used to it?” And generally, the answer is “No.” If you are able to bring puppy out consistently, monitor for cues, and have the time and patience for training, the housebreaking process can go pretty smoothly. The turf really does prepare puppies well for the transition to real grass.
Here are some scenarios in which people continue to use the Astroturf potty system:
- Leaving puppy alone for more than a few hours and do not want to crate for an extended period. In this case, especially while puppy is young, we recommend setting up a large play yard with toys, food and water, a bed, and the Astroturf potty system.
- Traveling, and want the convenience of bringing along a Potty System in case accommodations are not very accommodating of puppy’s needs. This is especially true when staying in a hotel, where a potty system can be put on a balcony or other out-of-the-way-area in lieu of trying to find a good place to take a walk.
- Convenience: Often, families with active children worry that they are so busy taking care of the kids that they won’t notice when a puppy needs to go out. Or, an older person gets a puppy as a companion pet and, likewise, aren’t sure that their activity level will allow them to keep up with puppy’s frequent need to go outside.
In these cases, people often opt to use the Astroturf system as a “fail-safe,” keeping it in an out-of-the-way location accessible and familiar to their puppy. They still try to bring puppy outside exclusively, but if they aren’t on top of things, at least the puppy will do his or her business in an acceptable location, eliminating messes in the common areas of the house.
We must confess, we have a few adult dogs (who shall remain nameless!) that do NOT like to go potty outside when it’s raining. While we can’t say we blame them, neither do we like the inevitable messes on those gray and gloomy days. Thankfully, all our floors are hard and easily cleanable, but even so, it’s obviously not preferred. One day it occurred to me to put one of our puppy Astroturf systems in the dog room. To my surprise, they used it! And these are adult Doodles ranging in size from 15-30 lbs. Our 24” x 36” tray system was large enough for them to use comfortably. So even we opt for the convenience once in a while. It just makes sense!
You Can Go Home with a Carrier Family Doodles Astroturf Potty System!
We tested a lot of turf before settling on the one we use. The cheaper options often felt thin and coarse, shed fibers during use and cleaning, and simply didn't hold up over time. Our professional-grade Astroturf (re-claimed from football field use) is fuller, softer, more natural-looking, and designed for the kind of daily use and care a puppy potty system may receive. Because we love it, and because our puppies are familiar with it, we decided to make it available to our Carrier Family Doodles famly!
What do you get with our Astroturf Potty System?
Our Astroturf is reclaimed from football fields and is professional quality, as much like real grass as possible. There really is no comparison between our turf and the commercially-available turf, which quickly sheds or frays with use and regular washing.
The tray, absorbent underpad, and turf are approximately 36″ x 24″ in size, large enough for even a mini adult dog.
Our system includes one tray, two under pads, two Astroturfs, and bonus scrapers and a roll of eco-friendly, compostable bags to easily scrape solid waste from the turf and dispose of it with less mess. The set also includes instructions for use and care.
NOTE: the astroturf you receive is reclaimed and will have signs of use. However, it is properly sized, cleaned, high-quality, and ready for continued use. We cycle through multiple astroturfs each day, with regular bleaching and sun-drying, and have used the same turfs for years. We were replacing the Amazon turfs every few months due to degradation. Also, (in our experience), this turf is also thicker/fuller, and much more like real grass than the Amazon alternatives.
This astroturf potty system is currently only available as a value-add when you adopt a Carrier Family Doodles puppy. You will receive it along with your gift bag on go-home day. Click “BUY NOW” and check out using Stripe, our secure payment processor, with your debit or credit card.
